Bellator action resumes on Friday with Bellator 218, which takes place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., and airs on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A rematch between featherweights goes down in the main event. Emmanuel Sanchez (17-4 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) will look to earn a second victory over Georgi Karakhanyan (28-8-1 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) after he won the initial meeting by majority decision at Bellator 170 in January 2017.
For more on the numbers behind the event, check below for 16 pre-event facts about Bellator 218.
* * * *
Main event
Sanchez returns to competition after his title-fight loss to Patricio Freire at Bellator 209 in November.
Sanchez has never suffered consecutive losses in his MMA career.
Sanchez has earned all of his Bellator stoppage victories by submission.
Karakhanyan returns to Bellator for a third stint. He hasn’t competed in the organization since Bellator 192 in January 2018.
Karakhanyan went 1-0 (with one no-contest) between Bellator appearances.
Karakhanyan’s five stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Patricio Freire (10) and A.J. McKee (nine).
Karakhanyan’s four knockout victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Freire (six) and McKee (five).
Co-main event
Linton Vassell (18-7 MMA, 7-4 BMMA) returns to competition for the first time since May 25. The 301-day layoff is the longest of his more than 10-year career.
Vassell’s two-fight skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2017.
Vassell moves up to the heavyweight division for the first time in his career.
Vassell’s seven victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Liam McGeary (nine) and Emanuel Newton (eight).
Vassell’s three submission victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied with McGeary, Newton and Mike Mucitelli for most in divisional history.
Remaining main card
Anatoly Tokov (27-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) is 20-1 in his past 21 fights dating back to April 2012.
Tokov’s three-fight Bellator winning streak in middleweight competition is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Shipman (four).
Gerald Harris (25-7-1 MMA, 0-2-1 BMMA) is winless in three fights since coming out of retirement in April 2018.
For more on Bellator 218, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
